The Gold Coast is really the region with the mega theme parks, but there are some great parks right in the Sunshine Coast that are a bit more educational and artsy and can make for great fun. These are the type of parks that can keep you entertained all day long, without the super-sized rides that some love, but others hate.

When I hit the beach to surf I usually head down to Mermaid Beach. Though the waves are not among the best of the Gold Coast’s offerings, I choose this spot because of the ability to dodge the swelling crowds. Crowds and surfing: they’ve got a funny relationship. No serious surfer out there will tell you that they enjoy surfing in a tightly packed spot, yet nonetheless we all tend to exacerbate the matter by obeying certain sheep-like behavior (i.e. the “follow the pack” mentality).